Governors, senators, congressmen and mayors have already weighed in, and on Nov. 7 voters in Senate District 4 will get their say as to whether Jim Fitzgerald or Kathy Sgambati should represent them.

Senate District 4 is comprised of the communities of Alton , Barnstead, Belmont , Gilford, Gilmanton, Laconia , New Durham, Strafford and Tilton.

Fitzgerald, who is a two-term Republican state representative from Laconia , is a retired teacher, football coach and athletic director at Laconia High School.

Sgambati is a Democrat from Tilton who, before her retirement in 2004, served 26 years in the state Department of Health and Human Services, the last eight as deputy director.

Both Fitzgerald and Sgambati identify themselves as fiscal conservatives and both have been the subject of much campaigning by some of the major political players in the state and nation.

Among Fitzgerald's supporters are Sen. Judd Gregg, First District Congressman Jeb Bradley, former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman and New Hampshire Senate President Ted Gatsas.

Meanwhile, Sgambati's backers have included Gov. John Lynch, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richards and Laconia Mayor Matt Lahey.

The mayor recently stirred the pot of the Senate 4 race when he issued a letter to the community warning that Fitzgerald and two Laconia state representatives, John Veazey and Frank Tilton, seeking re-election, could, by their support of an amendment to the state constitution, cause Laconia to lose some of the $5.3 million it received in education aid.

In response, Fitzgerald, Veazey and Tilton have each said that while they support "school choice," including vouchers and charter schools, they were all committed to public education also and would work to get Laconia "targeted aid."

Sgambati, referencing a New Hampshire Supreme Court ruling in September, said the Legislature has to first define what constitutes an "adequate education" before trying to figure out how to pay for it.

She and Fitzgerald oppose a statewide sales tax or an income tax although Sgambati has said she would consider raising the tax on tobacco products to generate more revenue for the state.

The most eyebrow-raising element of the Sgambati-Fitzgerald race has been Fitzgerald's repeated refusal to face Sgambati one-on-one in debates or forums.

Sgambati has repeatedly pointed out that although Fitzgerald in the Sept. 12 Republican primary ran on a platform of being "open and accessible" he has been neither since securing his party's nomination.

For his part, Fitzgerald stressed that he is running his kind of campaign one that focuses on interpersonal connections. He notes that he is listed in the phone book and has encouraged anyone who wants to talk to him to call him.

Nonetheless, even The Citizen in endorsing Fitzgerald, has expressed its disappointment that "he ducked the challenge of debating his Democratic opponent, Kathleen Sgambati."

The newspapers editorial writers also padded Fitzgerald for not taking "a strong stand on the public's right to know in respect to the Belknap County Delegation filling a vacancy on the County Commission."

The delegation initially announced that it would only consider Republicans to fill the balance of the term created by the death of Gordon Bartlett and also said it would interview the candidates behind closed doors.

The Citizen also reminded that Fitzgerald "New Hampshire politics is no longer a one-party enterprise" and that, if elected, he and his fellow Legislators, the overwhelming majority of whom are Republicans, will likely have to work with Lynch, who is a Democrat.

Barring last-minute surprises, Lynch, who according to the most recent polling, has nearly a three-to-one advantage over his Republic rival, Jim Coburn, in recent polls, should easily win a second term.

Sgambati already has experience in working with Lynch, who appointed her to manage the Citizens' Health Initiative.

Sgambati touts her extensive experience in working with the Legislature and points out that in addition to Lynch, she has also worked with four other NH governors, both Republican and Democrat, including John H. Sununu, Judd Gregg, Steve Merrill and Jeanne Shaheen.

With Sununu, Sgambati helped reform the state's welfare program to focus on independence and employment opportunities for welfare recipients.